Groups and teams Flashcards
Define group.
Groups are those social aggregates that involve mutual awareness and the potential for interaction.
What are the 5 characteristics of a group?
- A common goal
- A collective identity (kit)
- A clear structure for communication
- Group unity
- Sense of shared purpose
Define group cohesion.
The extent to which a group sticks together in pursuit of a common goal.
Define task cohesion.
When members work to complete the task successfully.
Important in interactive sports, e.g.: rugby, netball.
Define social cohesion.
Involves members enjoying social interaction and forming relationships.
Important in coactive sports, e.g.: swimming, athletics.
Why might cohesiveness break down?
- Formation of sub-groups
- Poor group dynamics
- Losses in co-ordination: mistakes made, bad timing, break down in team work
- Loss in motivation
- Team members not ‘pulling their weight’
What is Steiners model of group performance?
AP = PP - FP
What do each part of Steiners model stand for?
AP - actual productivity
PP - potential productivity
FP - faulty processes
What are the 2 faulty processes that can occur?
Motivation losses
Co-ordination losses
What effect is associated with co-ordinaion losses?
What is it?
The Ringelmann effect - co-ordination losses are more likely to occur if team numbers increase.
What are co-ordination losses?
- Break down in teamwork.
- Team effectiveness not sustained (e.g. losing).
- Ringelmann effect.
Describe motivation losses that occur.
- Where an individual suffers a reduction in motivation during performance.
- Performer withdraws effort and ‘coasts’.
- Relaxation effort - social loafing.
What causes social loafing?
- A feeling that others are not trying
- Lack of reinforcement by others
- Negative past experiences
- Task is too difficult
- Perception of low ability
Why social loafing detrimental to performance?
- Impedes cohesiveness
- Causes performance to decrease
What are the ways of combatting social loafing?
- Simplify task
- Positive reinforcement - rewards, e.g. man of the match
- Highlight the importance of individual effort
- Punish lack of effort - substitution
- Set individual goals
- Give the individual responsibility (e.g. captain)
- Increase confidence of individual
- Attribute success to sustained work rate
What are the causes of co-ordiantion problems?
- Injury can disrupt team strategies and break down co-ordination
- Large team numbers - Ringlemann effect
- Vague individual roles inhibit effective teamwork
- Breakdown in team tactic
- Inadequate leadership inhibits teamwork
- Personality can influence team cohesion as people with low trait confidence find it difficult to promote group cohesion
What are the way of combatting co-ordination problems?
- Train regularly - team cohesion
- Rehearse set plays so they’re grooved
- Allocate specific roles during set plays
- Stress team effort
- Feedback on previous marches
- Attribute success to teamwork
Describe motivational losses that may occur in performance.
- Team performance is affected by social loafing
- Lack of identifiable roles in team members
- Injury
- Lack of team/social cohesion
- Task too difficult
Explain the possible effects of a group on the behaviour related to lifestyle of group members.
- Influence of group norms from other in the group or pressure to conform to a certain lifestyle
- To be accepted/a sense of belonging to a group (which can lead to positive or negative lifestyle behaviours)
- Can motivate/encourage you to follow an active and healthy lifestyle or not to follow an active and healthy lifestyle
- Confidence can be increased with the presence of others in the group or it may be decreased (leading to social loafing)
- Deindividuation/lose sense of identity can occur when in a group which can lead to dysfunctional/unhealthy behaviour
- Leaders in the group can influence behaviour (positive or negative effects) / role model yourself to influence a healthy lifestyle
Describe motivational losses that may occur in performance.
- Team performance is affected by social loafing
- Lack of identifiable roles in team members
- Injury
- Lack of team/social cohesion
- Task too difficult
Explain the possible effects of a group on the behaviour related to lifestyle of group members.
- Influence of group norms from other in the group or pressure to conform to a certain lifestyle
- Confidence can be increased with the presence of others in the group or it may be decreased (leading to social loafing)
- Deindividuation/lose sense of identity can occur when in a group which can lead to dysfunctional/unhealthy behaviour
- Leaders in the group can influence behaviour (positive or negative effects) / role model yourself to influence a healthy lifestyle
- To be accepted/ a sense of belonging to a group (which can lead to positive or negative lifestyle behaviours)
Explain why some sports teams seem to be more cohesive and successful than other teams of similar ability.
- Group members sharing the same goals
- Effective leadership/quality of leadership
- Level of success/past experiences - if team has been successful then more likely to be cohesive
- The event importance can increase cohesion - Eg Playing in the cup final makes a team more unified
- High level of individual motivation or a lack of social loafers (Steiner) - e.g. team members are equally motivated
